Designate That
by CindyZ
Summary: (M/A) Rewrite of season two: What if what Renfro suggested in Pollo Loco was true? That madness was hereditary in X5’s? All it needs is a trigger, and unknown to Manticore they ARE the trigger. *Updated 1/03* Happy Birthday Jensen Baby!! MWAH!
1. Prologue

Designate That by CindyZ

This just came to me while watching a rerun of Pollo Loco. It's the only one of season one that I'll watch, (for obvious reasons, J). I had only seen it once before, and it has inspired this. This is **TOTALLY AU**, but just from the beginning of season two. It is from Max's POV, but there will be a lot more of Alec later on.  – I'm gonna probably skip loads of the eps, and definitely loads of the Logan parts.  J

Teaser: What if what Renfro suggested in Pollo Loco was true. That madness was hereditary in X5's. All it needs is a trigger, and unknown to Manticore they ARE the trigger. Some can survive longer than other's but no one can survive forever. And Max is the one that breaks. 

Disclaimer: I know, I know, I'm using a lot of the lines in the ep. I apologise, please don't sue me, I admit I didn't write them. The tweaking however, I admit I did do, so please don't sue a penniless student. J

Pairing, M/A

Rating: R

A/N: This is gonna be quite long people. However, I do have the whole thing written out, so review and they might get out quicker. Hope you enjoy!

A/N2: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO MAIA for betaing this thing. You are a STAR girl – thanks a bunch!! J

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Prologue

I'd given in. I gave that bitch Renfro my designation when she asked for it. I had betrayed my old life, my old friends, my family. Logan. I'd betrayed him too.  I'd betrayed everything from before by giving in. But not because the torture was too much. Not because the Bitch had threatened me with my old life. That was over, and they knew how to take care of themselves.  Not even the sight of Zack, _Zack_, my beloved brother on the point of dying. 

I was crouched up, so small I couldn't move. I had been in there for well over a week, no stimulation, no nothing from the outside. No food, no drink, I thought I was going to die. They would forget about me being here, I would be in this torture forever. I don't know if it was conscious, but I started thinking about my childhood. In normal circumstances, I would try to keep it as far away as possible from my conscious mind, but scenes kept on playing out. Sitting with Jondy in the high place. Watching Ben play with the shadows to entertain us. Seeing my brothers and sisters being taken away if they were convulsing. Tinga, dead in my arms. Each ripped through my chest, sorrow, sadness, and a burning desire for vengeance. Then, as Ben so rightly pointed out at our last friendly meeting, before I killed him - _oh God I killed my brother_-, I was replaying the most exhilarating day of my life. Chasing the convict, running in a pack with my brothers and sisters, finding him, jumping on him, and believing him a nomalie, killing him.

I could still remember the sight of that man lying there, the smell of freshly spilled blood perfuming the air. I wasn't disgusted by the sight. I wasn't affected by it at all, and it was not just my belief that this man was a nomalie. All I thought was that he wasn't one of us, he wasn't perfect, he was a nomalie and he couldn't hurt us any more. 

It was only when I escaped, lived with a foster family, met friends and got a job, got a life, that I realised how wrong we were. How different we were. We were killers, born and bred, and nothing could take that away, I could never deny it. 

But I did. I strived to become normal, blending in, becoming one of the 'people'. Through my life, even while meeting my soul sister Original Cindy, I hid my nature. A wolf in sheep's clothing. But I still wanted my family, my pack. I had been looking for them for a few years before I hooked up with Logan. In return for missions, he would give me information about my family. That burning desire in me was finally being realised, and I focused on it with all my being. But after these few months, of Manticore destroying my family, making ME destroy my family, I came to a decision. 

With visions of an accelerated aging Brin, Zack leaving to protect the others, and me, ME killing my own brother, my Ben, a new desire came to me. Whatever happened, if I had to kill, hunt and maim humans, humans that I had been living with for 10 years, I would have my revenge. For my family. For Brin, Tinga, Ben, Jack and Zack. And most of all, for me. 

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Please review and let me know what you think! The more you review the quicker it will be up!!


	2. Chpater 1

Chapter 1 – Designate That – by CindyZ

This just came to me while watching a rerun of Pollo Loco. It's the only one of season one that I'll watch, (for obvious reasons, J). I had only seen it once before, and it has inspired this. This is **TOTALLY AU**, but just from the beginning of season two. It is from Max's POV, but there will be a lot more of Alec later on.  – I'm gonna probably skip loads of the eps, and definitely loads of the Logan parts.  J

Teaser: What if what Renfro suggested in Pollo Loco was true. That madness was hereditary in X5's. All it needs is a trigger, and unknown to Manticore they ARE the trigger. Some can survive longer than other's but no one can survive forever. And Max is the one that breaks. 

Disclaimer: I know, I know, I'm using a lot of the lines in the ep. I apologise, please don't sue me, I admit I didn't write them. The tweaking however, I admit I did do, so please don't sue a penniless student. J

Pairing, M/A

Rating: R

A/N: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO MAIA for betaing this thing. You are a STAR girl – thanks a bunch!! J

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"State you're designation," the Bitch asked me, and mentally gritting my teeth, I answered like a good little dog. 

"X5-452, ma'am,"

Revenge, revenge, revenge, echoed through me, and I curbed my desire. *When the time is right. You're on your own, complete the mission.* 

 "You don't fool me. I know you're just playing along. Come on - I want to show you something."

I followed her obediently to what she wanted me to see, seething. When I walked into the room, I saw a man strapped on a gurney, all sorts of tubes and machines around him. I didn't recognise him, but when I looked into his eyes, I knew. 

"Zack," I said out loud, I couldn't help it. My brother, not dead, but close to it. I suppressed my tears, and focused on him. Did he know me, did he recognise me? 

When the Bitch told me what they had done to him, I wanted to rip her throat out. I would have at that moment, and I think she knew it, but she stepped away after her insincere condolences, and showed me my family. She told me I was poison, and I believed her. Pictures of them all, all who had died because of me. 

Then she showed me eyes-only. I made my expression go blank. She knew we had a connection, but not exactly what. I didn't want to betray him completely because he was my link to destroying this place. He would help me have my revenge.  

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These soldier's were good, I thought, referring to my fellow X5s as I was accompanied by a norm guard, armed with a tazer that he foolishly thought would protect him. I studied him from the corner of my eye, I could see his alertness, and also his confidence. I did not have any remorse in being confidant that I could squash him like a bug, and that I would enjoy doing so if it had no repercussions. 

I was also glad I was out. I could walk around straight, put on one foot in front of the other, stretch when I wanted to. I could have lasted longer, but it was nice not having to.  

I was assigned a group that were obviously recovering from injury. It was plain that my handlers thought I wasn't as good as my X relations from being outside. While not making it obvious I was checking the exits, the guards positions, their alertness, I kicked all their asses. Sure they had some new moves, but not enough that I couldn't multitask. The Drill Sergeant came up to me, and I had to crane my neck to look up at him. I hate looking at someone who is taller than me and makes it so obvious by standing in my face. I wanted to kick him where it hurt, I knew I could do it in a blink of an eye, but I was being a good girl.

"So you're an 09' escapee. You think you're pretty good, huh?" 

I looked him straight in the eye and told him I was. "I guess it didn't help that I'm with the recoveries, but I did learn to fight dirty." I gave him a humourless grin, watching his eyes bulge slightly with my cocky remark. One thing I did love about being free was that I could say what I wanted, when I wanted. This would not change. If they wanted to punish me, well fuck them.

Drill Sergeant's eyes then narrowed, and I knew I would be. 

"X5-967!" He bellowed, and a smallish man stepped forward, with dark brown hair and incredible blue eyes, and answered his summons. 

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Spar with X5-452, and show her you can fight 'dirty'." Sergeant shouted out, and we took our positions. 

The training area was silent, all eyes on us. I loved it. This was control; this was what I was born for.

With a blink of an eye, 967's foot shot out and I couldn't avoid it, it was too quick. I spun into the hit and it deflected off of me, while spinning my other foot to his abdomen. I hit him, but not hard, and he stumbled back slightly. We were testing each other. It seemed I had a reputation too. 

"What's the matter 452?" 967 said tauntingly. "Still recuperating?"

I couldn't help mouthing off. Just to see his eyes narrow with indignation. "Bite me."

"Must have given you a lousy heart," 967 said, and I lost all control. They could taunt me, but not Zack. 

Our fight was over within a minute, lighting fast kicks and punches, ducks and jabs. 

My opponent had a bloody nose, and favoured his left leg slightly. I had god knows how many bruises, but I wasn't the one on the floor. 

There was silence. I had beaten their fighter. I thought the drill sergeant would make me fight again, but then I was called to the Bitch. I sauntered out, looking all the while like I was walking in the park on a summer's day. I had won, and I saw the others looking at me warily. I had furthered my reputation even more today, I hoped it would be a help, not a hindrance.   

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Please review and tell me what you think!! Continuation coming soon!!


	3. Chapter 2

Designate That – Chapter Two - by CindyZ

This just came to me while watching a rerun of Pollo Loco. It's the only one of season one that I'll watch, (for obvious reasons, J). I had only seen it once before, and it has inspired this. This is **TOTALLY AU**, but just from the beginning of season two. It is from Max's POV, but there will be a lot more of Alec later on.  – I'm gonna probably skip loads of the eps, and definitely loads of the Logan parts.  J

Teaser: What if what Renfro suggested in Pollo Loco was true. That madness was hereditary in X5's. All it needs is a trigger, and unknown to Manticore they ARE the trigger. Some can survive longer than other's but no one can survive forever. And Max is the one that breaks. 

Disclaimer: I know, I know, I'm using a lot of the lines in the ep. I apologise, please don't sue me, I admit I didn't write them. The tweaking however, I admit I did do, so please don't sue a penniless student. J

Pairing, M/A

Rating: R

A/N: This is gonna be quite long people. However, I do have the whole thing written out, so review and they might get out quicker. Hope you enjoy!

A/N2: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO MAIA for betaing this thing. You are a STAR girl – thanks a bunch!! J

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When I was first shown my bunk, I didn't do anything. I knew it would be under surveillance, they would be watching me like a hawk, so I just looked at the bed and lay down to sleep. If I strained my ears to the maximum, I could hear the almost silent whirring of the camera. I had pinned it to the opposite corner, and I knew I could do nothing until it was removed, until they trusted me enough. I didn't know how long it would take but I was patient. Up to a point of course. 

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I was doing well, as well as could be expected. That's what the Bitch told me anyway. Keeping me on a tight leash – yeah right.  The week before surveillance had been lifted, and I had been diligently working on the bricks. If I could remove two, I'd have access to the outside world, and I could tell by the hollow sound that the wall had something behind it. I was already through the first one. 

I was working one night when I heard the doors at the end of the corridor open. I hurriedly hid my tools and covered my hole. Just in time, as the guard opened the peephole and then opened the door. 

When I saw this person come into my cell, I thought I really was insane. My beloved brother was standing right in front of me. My Ben. 

"Ben?" I asked, praying to the blue Lady it was true. He was not dead. I had not killed my brother.

The obvious confusion on his face crushed me. He didn't know me. It wasn't Ben.

"What?" the man said, puzzled.

"You look like someone I used to know," I replied. I took half a step forward, so I could look at him closely. Everything was the same, his nose, his physique. The only difference was his eyes. They were they same smouldering hazel-green, but there was something different. He wasn't mad. 

"Well, my designation is X5-494."

They were twins, clones whatever. I took a small breath in surprise.

"His was 493.You must be twinned."

"Yeah, 493. Your fellow traitor. Went psycho." 494 said, the scorn evident in his voice. On behalf of Ben, I got my back up.

"What the hell do _you_ know about it?" You didn't know him, didn't grow up with him.

"I know that because of him I had to spend six months in psy-ops. They wanted to make sure it wasn't genetic. Looks like ten years in the world finally got to him." 494 said. 

"It was this place that got to him." I replied hotly. Like it's getting to me now, I thought. I refused to acknowledge the thought. 

"Well, whatever. Lets just get this over with, huh?" 494 said, his eyes straying to my bunk, and hooking fingers under his shirt, he pulled it off. 

Looking at the golden, toned skin in front of me, I was tempted to lick my lips. Having being months in this place, I had had no access to guys for any reason socially. Though Manticore being Manticore, this would not be social. It was some kind of mind trick.  

"What the hell are you doing?" I said, stepping back. I did not want to be close to him, I didn't trust myself. I was too tempted, and I couldn't do anything because of Logan. If he found out, he wouldn't help me destroy this place. 

"We've been paired off. I'm your breeding partner. We're supposed to copulate every night until you get pregnant."

"Copulate?" I said in disgust. Manticore had come to a new low, and I struggled to control myself. "That's sick."

494 rolled his eyes at me and replied, "It's your own fault. If you and your friends hadn't blown up the DNA database, they'd still be whipping up embryos and putting them into surrogates." He looked at me more closely, not as a person but as a piece of meat. Purely physical attraction, I could see it burning in his eyes. "Take off your clothes."

I saw him looking at me like that, and however much I was tempted to go with my instincts, go with the moment and fuck him, I couldn't. It would help Manticore, and every part of me was against that.  Wanting to keep him away from me, I told him coldly to get out of my cell.

494 was having none of it, stepping closer fluidly, looking at me like he wanted to eat me. I wanted him to. He repeated his request, "Take off your clothes." What else could I do but kick him in the stomach? I watched half smugly, half screaming inside as he flew forcefully to the door.

The heat in his eyes was gone, replaced with amazement and shock. I was breaking the rules, not following orders – something a good little solider had no idea about. 

"What the hell was that?" He shouted, his arm coming to rub his stomach to ease the pain. Watching his muscles flex with that small movement I was tempted to ease the pain for him, but I stopped myself before the thought could be show on my face. Instead, to cover up any expression I did have, I told him in no uncertain terms: "That is the only physical contact you and me are going to have!"

He wasn't going to give up, I could see that he didn't want to disobey orders, but he didn't come any closer.  "You know, this isn't exactly a plum assignment for me either. You spent half your life out there in filth and degradation." He leaned closer, looking at my lips, then looked me in the eyes with a biting glance. "I could catch something."

I was incensed. How dare he imply that I was dirty! I was sorely tempted to kick him again, but I restrained myself. 

"Whatever you need to tell yourself. Just as long as we understand each other."

He agreed, but instead of the relief I was supposed to be feeling, I was disappointed. _God, Max, You are so stupid._

"Fine." He said in an exasperated voice. "Don't freak out on me."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise – he was speaking like people on the outside. I guess he must have seen my face, because he proceeded to explain. Unfortunately, I was only half listening. He had grabbed his shirt and was putting it back on. I looked at his perfect, lush body while his vision was temporarily blocked. _Man he had perfect pecs_. I felt myself starting to blush – and I never blushed – so I looked away. 

 "I took Common Verbal Usage when I got cleared for my solo missions." He said, and I looked back at him. He had just reminded me he was the enemy, not someone to stare at all day. I was disgusted, with him and myself for having these thoughts.

"Oh, you mean assassinations." He had killed in the name of Manticore. I didn't care that he had killed – so had I – but my mission was to bring them down. I could not get distracted.

"It was my job. If you're gonna 'bust my chops' about it, go ahead." He wasn't ashamed. He really believed it was right, he had done the right thing. My voice was stuck in my throat, not just from his expression, but from the fact that I couldn't dispute what he was saying. If I didn't know any better, I would believe them too. I had to show him the outside. 

I was about to explain when I sensed someone coming and shut up. A guard was peering through my cell, looking at us, and I was doubly disgusted. He came to watch us, the sick fuck. Well, there was no show to see. But if he was checking up on us, I may as well throw him a bone. 

"He's reading love poetry. You know, to get me in the mood."  I thought that might get a rise from him, answer back to break the tension in the cell, but he completely ignored me.

"You got something for me?" the guard asked 494, and he passed him a small packet. God knows what it was, but I was fascinated. 494 also produced some cigars from somewhere and asked for them to be passed along to someone called Vic. When the guard had gone, 494 added the money to an already fat roll, and put it away. 

494 must have seen my expression, because he smiled a miniscule smirk. I wanted to kick his ass.  

"He's got a thing for those vitamins they make us pop every morning."  I was impressed and stunned, but I couldn't let him seen that.

"I'm not even gonna ask about the cigars." 

494 rolled his eyes and looked around the cell. If I didn't know better, I would have said he was uncomfortable. Nah. "I got a few things working. Listen, I've got an hour to kill before I head back to the barracks. Why don't you wake me up at 0100?"

The cheeky asshole lay on my bunk and closed his eyes, as if to sleep. But what could I do? He had the right idea. And I couldn't bring myself to make him move. He looked delicious there and I think if I had touched him, something else might have happened. But then he shifted slightly and all I could think about was Ben. I fought to remember that this was his clone, a condescending ass, but I couldn't stop a tear from escaping. I crouched down on the hard floor fighting my memories, fighting for sanity. I still don't know if it worked.  


	4. Chapter 3

Designate That – Chapter Three - by CindyZ

This just came to me while watching a rerun of Pollo Loco. It's the only one of season one that I'll watch, (for obvious reasons, J). I had only seen it once before, and it has inspired this. This is **TOTALLY AU**, but just from the beginning of season two. It is from Max's POV, but there will be a lot more of Alec later on.  – I'm gonna probably skip loads of the eps, and definitely loads of the Logan parts.  

Teaser: What if what Renfro suggested in Pollo Loco was true. That madness was hereditary in X5's. All it needs is a trigger, and unknown to Manticore they ARE the trigger. Some can survive longer than other's but no one can survive forever. And Max is the one that breaks. 

Disclaimer: I know, I know, I'm using a lot of the lines in the ep. I apologise, please don't sue me, I admit I didn't write them. The tweaking however, I admit I did do, so please don't sue a penniless student.

Pairing, M/A

Rating: R

A/N: This is gonna be quite long people. However, I do have the whole thing written out, so review and they might get out quicker. Hope you enjoy!

A/N2: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO MAIA for betaing this thing. You are a STAR girl – thanks a bunch!!

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X5-494 left my cell at 0100 exactly, parting with a sarcastic, 'It was fun'. I wanted to beat him to the ground at that remark, but I gave him a grimace instead. He had already gone, though. 

We were in the yard the next morning, doing our exercises and sparring when we were told to line up.  Being the good little Manticorean I was, I did it, but I had no idea what the occasion was. We had already had a roll call. I had an inkling when 494 stood next to me. He wouldn't have if he had any choice – the memory of my boot in his stomach must have made him wary as he was tense and I could see him monitoring me out of the corner of his eyes.  

Renfro worked her way down all the assembled X5's asking about our 'copulation'. So that's what she wanted. Well, she wasn't going to get anything out of me.  

When she was standing in front of 494, but looking at me, the Bitch demanded a report. I said nothing. There was no way in hell I was going to admit to sleeping with the enemy. I looked her straight in the eye. I could see her impatience, but I was still silent. I wouldn't lie to her for myself, and certainly not for 494.

Then the little ass lied through his teeth. "Successful copulation between myself and X5-452, ma'am. Twice." 

It was official. I didn't care that he looked like Ben, I didn't care that he had saved us from a through debriefing, I was going to kill him. 

The Bitch looked surprised, and congratulated me like a little dog. She had to throw Logan into it didn't she? I felt 494's slight tensing at the mention of my boyfriend. Was he jealous? I hoped so. 

Then Renfro asked me if I received any medical treatment when I was on the outside. I could practically hear 494's laughter in my head, a reply to his earlier assumption that I might have 'caught' something on the outside. I knew he was listening. 

Regardless, I answered truthfully. Why the hell would she want to know anyway? She just looked at me coldly and I was lead away. Was that look supposed to scare me? 

I was taken into a room in the hospital barracks, and I hoped I would not be shown another of my dead siblings. I let nothing show on my face.  

"Then how do you explain this?" the Bitch asked, and I looked at a replica of myself. She was only about 10 or 11, and I could see that she was scared. She was surrounded by ice packs and was aging rapidly. It was the same thing that happened to Brin. I remained impassive but inside I was screaming.  Why did they have to show me this?

_"_She's a younger version of you, but she's suffering from late-stage progeria. Except for her X7-specific code sequences, her DNA is identical to yours. So I'm gonna ask you again: Did you receive any medical care that we should know about?" 

I really hadn't. Of course she didn't believe me. 

"Then I guess we're just gonna have to do spinals on you both so we can run a DNA analysis. Or maybe you've just been lucky. For all we know, _that_ could still happen to you."

She turned away and started making arrangements. My clone stared back at me, my literal sister, but what could I do? I was taken away and refused to let the fear touch me. If that happened I wouldn't care. As long as Manticore was destroyed. 

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Please Review – more is coming soon!!


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